Three Grand Isle police officers have been arrested on the heels of an investigation into improprieties at the Police Department, officials told WDSU.

WDSU reporter Jennifer Crockett said the officers were arrested Wednesday. The three officers face charges of malfeasance in office and were arrested by a member of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.

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Crockett said the officers were identified as Tyson Gravette, Elgene Gary and Cameron Westbrook. Grevette was a captain for eight years, Gary was a lieutenant for 12 years and Westbrook was an officer for a year.

Two residents of Grand Isle were also arrested. Karrie Mulac and Tasha Eschete face one count each of extortion.

The Sheriff's Office has been handling the investigation into the Police Department and found issues with how evidence is handled and the protocols and procedures that are in place.

Sheriff Newell Normand said at a news conference in March that sheriff's deputies discovered marijuana missing from some evidence bags that were cut open. Evidence bags seized by the Sheriff's Office dated back to the 1990s.

In another instance of impropriety, Normand said money that was provided to the Police Department through a grant and a task force was missing. The money, also known as purchase of evidence-purchase of information, requires segregated accounts, funds and paperwork.

Normand said the investigation into the Police Department began after what was initially a three-phase illegal narcotics sweep on Grand Isle. He said the three phases resulted in the arrests of several individuals on drug violations.

Deputies were undercover during the busts on the island, Normand said. In some instances, he said that some GIPD officers were reportedly working against the Sheriff's Office. He said it's alleged that some suspects on the island were notified of the undercover deputies and the narcotics investigations.

At the time of the news conference, Normand said no arrests had been made in the investigation. The police chief is retiring later this year.

Stay with WDSU-TV and WDSU.com as updates are released.

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